The Second Chance
by Thayer
Summary: AH. Edward grew up knowing only crime but now he is given a second chance at his life with his parents finally out of the picture. But when he is kidnapped he is suddenly thrown back into his past and how will he deal when he discovers what they want?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.**

Ok just a heads up, when the writing is in bold, it is something that is being thought. Oh and there is some swearing in this.

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_September, 1999_

I stared at the battered house as my parent's old Mazda pulled into the driveway. It was old and had obviously seen better days but there was something about it that I instantly felt akin to. It, like me, looked weathered, exhausted from its years of abuse and then neglect. But where the house showed its hardships on the outside – white painted exterior yellowing, broken windows and sagging front door – I carried my adversity on the inside.

I swallowed down my self-pity and got out of the car. Mum and Dad had been ignoring me since we left Seattle but I didn't really care. As long as their attention wasn't on me I would be okay. I started walking towards the old house when I heard my Dad growl.

"The bitch bit me," he hissed angrily.

I tried to ignore the sudden harsh slap that followed his words. Then a soft whimpering started and I ground my teeth together, balling my hands into fists. I closed my eyes and practically ran inside the house. I didn't need any keys to enter – the door was almost off its hinges as it was.

Glad to be away from my parents for even a few brief moments, I took the chance to explore the house. It wasn't big, having only two bedrooms and a lounge room that was attached to the kitchen and dining. The only bathroom was between the two bedrooms.

"Edward, come and help," I heard Dad shout.

I spun at the sound of my name but I didn't want to go out there. I didn't want to be a part of this. I never had.

**Get here now or I'll beat the shit out of you!**

I shoved my hands in my pockets and bowed my head. Walking slowly, I took my time so I could bury the guilt and anger deep inside me. I couldn't afford to get angry around Dad; I didn't want a repeat of last time.

As I stepped onto the decaying veranda, I lifted my head and spotted Mum and Dad struggling to control a furiously wiggling girl. My spirit lifted a little as I urged the girl to fight harder but suddenly Mum slapped the girl across the face and I winced. I knew being slapped by my mum was no fun, especially when she wore her wedding ring.

"Get the crap out of the car would you?" Dad said as he lifted the bound girl off her feet, throwing her over his shoulder.

Mum smirked at the girl, who was silent now. "Bite my man again and you'll get worse than that."

I could feel the girl's terrified thoughts press into my mind as I brushed past them on my way to the car. I bowed my head lower, trying to hide from her mind. Of course, it didn't work. I could still feel her fear and panic as Dad carried her inside. Mum watched them as they entered the house before turning to me and sneering.

"What are you looking at?"

I blinked before looking away, my impassive face not flinching. Slowly I began to pull all of our worldly possessions from the boot of the car. We didn't have many, we couldn't afford to. The more things we collected, the more likely it was that we would leave something behind that could be used to identify us. At the moment, the largest thing we owned was a portable television and that wasn't much bigger than ten inches.

I threw the duffel bag filled with my clothes over my shoulder before pulling out Dad's. Mum came over and started to help me. She pulled out her bag and we worked in silence as we unloaded everything. Between the two of us we could carry everything and still have a free hand to close the boot and lock it.

I trudged inside, aware of my Mum's looming presence behind me. I tried not to let her thoughts get into my mind but I really wasn't very good at controlling this curse. A curse that Mum and Dad knew about and used to their advantage.

Once inside, I dumped everything in the lounge room before taking my duffel bag into the smaller of the two bedrooms. I came to an abrupt stop in the doorway to the room.

Dad was tying a gag around the girl's mouth, her hands already tied behind her back and ankles bound together. The girl's eyes were wide with fear as she watched my Dad go about his business.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

The girl's dark brown eyes flew to mine, changing from fear to pleading. I stared at her for a few silent seconds. Pure and agonising guilt flooded me as I listened to the girl silently plead with me, listened as she called for help and ached for her parents. My hands tightened into fists on my duffel bag as I stood, rooted to the spot.

"You will be sharing a room," Dad suddenly announced.

His voice pulled me from the girl's penetrating gaze and I was able to transfer my gaze to his dark blue eyes. I swallowed, unnerved by the girl on the bed. I already hated what was happening but this girl was going to complicate things. She was going to keep pulling my conscience into it and not let me sit back as I always did.

"What?" I said stupidly.

I'd heard what he'd said but the thought of me sharing the bedroom with a hostage was just ridiculous.

"Dad, I can't share a room with her," I said in a horrified voice.

Dad glanced up at me and smiled cruelly. "Then you will be sleeping in the lounge room."

"God Dad!" I cried and threw my duffel bag at him.

Before he could react I was out of there. I knew I'd gone too far for Dad's short temper and I wasn't hanging around for any retaliation. I was out the front door and sprinting down the driveway when I heard Dad shouting furiously after me. I just kept running.

Ten minutes later, my chest was heaving and my side hurt. I began to slow down and take in what was around me. The house we were living in was at the end of a long abandoned street. I hadn't yet come across the neighbouring houses but I knew they were here somewhere. I remember Mum pointing out a garden she liked to Dad in the car ride over.

I kept walking, enjoying the morning sun on my back. It was warm and soothing and I found myself forgetting about everything. For a few peaceful moments, I wasn't the kid whose parents were infamous criminals, wanted in nearly every state, and who was looking at spending a long week sharing a bedroom with the newest hostage. I was just nine year old Edward Mason, mind reader extraordinaire.

A faint smile touched my lips. I liked knowing that I was different, that I could somehow read people's thoughts. It gave me a sense of hope that my life wouldn't turn out the way that my parents had. That I was different to them too.

I was pulled back to reality by the sudden presence of a house. It was only small but someone definitely lived there. I noticed the flower-filled garden around the veranda, its pungent aromas wafting over to me. This must have been the one Mum had pointed out.

A sudden noise surprised me and I quickly dashed off the road and into the cover of trees. I crept closer to the house as a boy about my age ran outside, his dark skin glowing in the sun. He had a skateboard tucked under one arm and a half-eaten apple in the other.

I watched curiously as an older lady came running out of the house, her skin the colour of mocha. She was shouting at the boy, waving something above her head.

"Jake, don't forget your helmet!"

I heard the boy's groan from here and a small smile touched my lips. He turned slowly and began walking back towards the lady, who I was guessing was his mum. As he walked, he threw the half-eaten apple into the forest near me. He was acting like it was the worst thing in the world and when he finally snatched the helmet from her hands he mumbled something I wasn't close enough to hear.

She smiled lovingly at him and ruffled his hair. He grimaced but waved heartily as he jogged back down the path and onto the road. As soon as his feet hit the tarmac, he dropped the skateboard, propped one foot against it and fastened his helmet onto his head. Then without further ado, he set himself up on the board and pushed himself down the street, gaining momentum as he went.

I waited until the lady went back inside before sighing and turning away from the house. Their life looked so carefree. Suddenly I was gripped by an overwhelming feeling burning desire. I wanted that life that I'd never experienced, wished I could feel the loss of something so innocent and trivial, but I couldn't. I never would either.

I knew I could have walked up to that house and told them everything. I could have told them that James and Victoria Mason were hiding out in the house at the end of the road and that they had kidnapped another young girl and were even now holding her against her will. I could have told them to ring the police anonymously and have them come and rescue her and take my parents into custody.

But then I would have been placed in foster care and be shipped all over the States, bouncing from family to family, still not getting the chance to experience a loving household. And as much as I hated my parents and the life that they forced me to lead, I couldn't do that to them. They had raised me, fed me, clothed me, gave me a roof over my head and taught me everything that I know. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today. I owed them my life and I couldn't repay them by just handing them over to the police for some dream I would never experience.

Slowly, I began the long walk back to the old house at the end of the street, my hands dug deep into my pockets and head hanging low. The sun was still warm but now, instead of soothing me, it hung over me, like an oppressive cloud.

When the house came back into view, I remembered my reason for running in the first place. I swallowed, trying to moisten my suddenly dry throat. I didn't want Dad to be angry with me but I knew I deserved whatever he threw at me. I shouldn't have thrown my bag at him but what was in the past couldn't be changed.

So I made my way into the dilapidated house, keeping my head down but searching out his mind. When I found him, I noticed that my actions were far from his mind. He was with Mum, discussing what they were going to do with the girl.

As I made my way through the house, I began listening to their words as much as their thoughts.

"Well her parents are richer than we first thought so I say we up the ransom," Mum was saying.

Dad sighed patiently. A strange sense of longing tugged at me whenever he did that because I knew he would never be patient with me. I was a nuisance in his mind while Mum was the epitome of perfection. He loved her so passionately and I was the mistake he never wanted.

"Vicky," he said softly. "We have the set amount for a reason. We only take what we need to last us six months and then we hit again. It's how we work baby."

I stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and saw Mum reach out for Dad's hand. She gazed adoringly at him as she gripped his hand.

"But if we get more than normal now we will last longer and it will throw the authorities off for while. After all, we do have an established pattern and if we break it, they might be thrown long enough for us to get to Alaska."

Suddenly she noticed me in the doorway and her loving smile dropping instantly. The familiar scowl returned as she stared at me.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, letting go of Dad's hand.

I swallowed, glancing between the two as Dad faced me too.

"Just around," I said with a shrug.

"You didn't talk to anyone did you?" she pressed.

I leant against the doorjamb, my arms crossed over my chest. I rolled my eyes at her.

"I know the rules Mum," I retorted.

"Don't take that tone with her. She's only thinking of your sorry arse, trying to keep you safe from the coppers," Dad defended angrily.

A disbelieving look covered my face as I stared at him. I was about to reply when I heard his livid thoughts push into my mind.

**Find something for the girl to eat and stay out of my sight. I will deal with you later.**

I glared at him before slipping off the wall and wandering over to the fridge. I heard my parents leave the room and wrenched the fridge door open in anger. Quickly I found a loaf of bread and a block of cheese. I pulled them out and sliced off two pieces of cheese. I placed them on a slice of bread and topped it off with tomato sauce. I dropped the lid of the sandwich on top before shoving everything back where it came from.

I walked over to the bedroom, hesitating briefly at the door. I had to mentally prepare myself for this girl; she was bound to wind me up again. I was in enough trouble as it was; I didn't need for her to make it worse. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. What I saw made me step back in surprise.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.**

A thick silence filled the room as I stared at the girl. She was no longer tied up on the bed and she was looking at me like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Her tiny frame was lit by the evening sun glowing through the window, in front of which she was standing.

"What the...?"

I hadn't realised I'd spoken the words aloud until the girl moved. Her hands scrambled over the lock on the window, fumbling in their haste. Panic flared inside me, burning furiously. If the girl disappeared while I was with her, Mum and Dad would blame me for her escape and it was likely they would kill me. Not something I was entirely keen on.

I dropped the sandwich on the floor and dashed across the room. The girl had finally managed to unlock the window and was now in the process of pushing it open. I grabbed her around the waist and spun around quickly, letting go of her at the last moment. She stumbled across the floor, hands outstretched in an effort to regain her balance.

In a few quick movements, I had the window shut and locked again and I turned to face the girl. She had stopped in the middle of the room. I watched in silence as her face filled with fear, her eyes darting between me, the window and the open door that led into the house. I couldn't stop her mind from penetrating mine.

**... I can't go there, it would only lead me into the arms of his parents... he's blocking the window... where can I... how am I going to get out...**

Her thoughts were flitting through her mind a mile a minute. I couldn't tell if she was actually finishing an entire sentence with the next thought layered over the top or if her thoughts were just broken and jumbled.

There was silence in the room for a few moments before a new, forebodingly familiar mind began to make itself known.

**What the hell is going on in there?**

My eyes widened as I realised Dad had heard the skirmish and was coming to investigate. Without thinking, I grabbed the girl's upper arm and hurled her over to the bed. She bounced once, twice, before the springs in the mattress adjusted to her weight but I was already rushing back to the door. I slammed the door shut just as I caught a glimpse of Dad's blonde head coming around the corner down the hall. I engaged the lock and stepped back from the door, searching Dad's mind to see if he'd noticed me.

Keeping my mind within my father's, I moved backwards until my legs hit the bed behind me before turning around. The girl was half-lying on the bed, her elbows propped up behind her to keep her top half elevated. The fear that had dominated her features moments ago was nearly erased by a burning curiosity and confusion.

"What are...?" she began but I quickly shoved my hand over her mouth to silence her.

She instantly began to struggle and I had to transfer all my weight onto the bed so I could hold her still. She may have only been a tiny thing but she was feisty. It wasn't long before the girl started to scream through my hand. It came out muffled but I knew Dad was almost at the door so he would hear it easily if I didn't silence her soon.

"Please be quiet!" I hissed desperately in her ear. "If my Dad comes in here and finds you free of your bonds, there is no telling what he will do. If you're quiet I should be able to send him away and then I will let you up."

The girl stopped thrashing and screaming but she gave me a filthy look and her thoughts were filled with anger. Strangely enough, she wasn't as terrified of Dad as I was – although she didn't know what he was capable of – she was just livid at the fact that I was lying on top of her, my body in an awkward position as I used my hands and legs to restrain her. She was humiliated.

I felt myself begin to blush but then I heard the doorknob jiggle and my head snapped around to stare at the door. Dad had arrived.

When the doorknob didn't work and the door remained stubbornly closed, Dad called out to me.

"Ed, what the hell? Why is the door locked?"

I glanced back down to the girl and saw the fear had returned. I kept my eyes on hers as I answered as calmly as I could.

"I don't know, I didn't lock it. Maybe it's just jammed."

I heard Dad growl aloud whilst swearing profusely in his head. Suddenly I heard the knob turn again followed by a low thud. A grunt from the other side of the door and then the low thud again. Dad was trying to shoulder barge the door down!

"Will you please let me retie you to the bed so that Dad doesn't come in here and kill us both?" I whispered urgently. "I promise I won't tie it anywhere near as tight, just tight enough to look believable."

I couldn't believe I was pleading with one of my parent's hostages! If this girl hadn't managed to escape in the first place, I wouldn't be in this predicament. But I wasn't going to play the blame game. I wanted to live and so did she, so if she was smart, she would let me do this.

Finally the girl nodded and I could feel the warmth of relief flood me. I got off her, feeling myself blush as I remembered how humiliated the girl had been only seconds before, and grabbed one of her wrists and tied it loosely to the bedpost.

Dad was shouting at me now.

"What the hell is wrong with this door? Vicky! Come and help me out! So help me kid, if you have that damn lock engaged I will ring your scrawny neck."

I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat at his threat and continued on to the girl's other hand. It didn't take me long to finish tying her up and I just hoped that it was of some semblance to the way Dad had done it earlier. I scrambled off the bed and made to go towards the door.

"The gag!" the girl hissed.

I turned back to face her and saw her nodding in the direction of a strip of material. Thinking quickly I shook my head at her and grabbed the plate off the floor. The sandwich was all skewed now but I didn't care. I dropped the plate on the side of the mattress, next to the girl and called out in what I hoped was an exasperated tone.

"I'll see if it's jammed on this side."

I could hear Mum coming and dashed faster to the door. As quietly as I could, I unlatched the lock and pushed it back out of the way. I jiggled the doorknob and grunted a few times to feign exhaustion.

"It's stuck on this side too!" I shouted.

"Fucking door," Dad spat. He kicked it heavily from his side and I felt the wood vibrate with the force.

"Fucking old house." He kicked it again and this time I turned the knob and pulled it open.

Dad was standing in front of me, his face red with anger and his chest heaving up and down. His temper had gripped him and I hoped to whatever God was out there that he didn't find out that I _had _locked the door and that the girl had managed to escape.

"That kick must have dislodged the blockage," I murmured.

Dad glanced suspiciously at the door then frowned at me. Mum appeared at his shoulder a moment later.

"What is it?" she demanded.

Dad waved his hand dismissively at her and I watched her roll her eyes before walking away, muttering under her breath. I heard every swear word and threat through her mind – none of it aimed at Dad, all of it aimed at me. Dad pushed past me into the room.

"What was going on in here?" he asked me.

I looked over at the girl lying on the bed.

"She wouldn't eat the sandwich," I lied. Lying was easy, it came naturally to me.

Dad gave me his infamous bored look. "Well then shove it down her throat."

He said it like it was the only solution and I nearly shuddered at his ruthlessness. Instead I kept my eyes locked on the girl and ignored his comment.

"She'll eat it," I promised him softly.

Dad mumbled something incoherent before stalking out of the room.

"And don't close that door again!" he called over his shoulder. "Can't afford it to get stuck again."

Again I chose to ignore him.

When I was sure both of my parents were nowhere near the bedroom, I let out a sigh of relief and lowered my head into my hands. I rubbed my face before throwing my head back and letting my arms drop to my sides limply.

"That was close," the girl muttered.

A low laugh that sounded more like a bark escaped my lips as I looked down at the girl again. She was staring at me with a shrewd expression and I couldn't help but listen to her thoughts.

I raised my eyebrow as I realised she was assessing me, comparing me to my parents.

"I'm nothing like them," I assured her.

A frown turned her lips down and a wrinkle creased her forehead. "I know."

I blinked in surprise. She had not thought that far ahead so I hadn't known what conclusion she had reached. How had she done that?

A minute of silence past and then the girl finally spoke again.

"Do you think you could...?" she left the sentence hanging, her head motioning towards her wrists.

I started forward quickly. "Of course!"

My fingers fumbled on the hastily tied knots and I could feel the girl's brown eyes staring at me. It took all my effort to push the girl's thoughts to the back of my mind and to think of something else to distract me. I had already invaded her privacy enough as it was.

When her hands were finally freed, I sat back on the edge of the bed and began picking at the cheese sandwich. I pulled a small piece of bread off and rolled it between my fingers into a ball.

"What's your name?" the girl suddenly asked.

Her voice was soft, curious and it made me look up.

"Edward."

She smiled pleasantly at me. Slowly she reached out her hand as though still a little hesitant about what she was doing.

"You are definitely nothing like them Edward. And my name is Bella by the way."

Two days past slowly but they were surprisingly pleasant for me. Dad had made me the unofficial caretaker of his young prisoner, which I had no qualms about. In those two days I found out a lot about Bella, like the fact that her parents had split when she was a toddler and she lived with her Mum. Her Dad lived in Washington and was the Chief of police but the reason my parents had chosen Bella as a target was because of her Mum's new fiancée. He was a baseball player and he was good at what he did. It wouldn't be long before he hit the major league and began earning the big money.

I was sitting with Bella now, helping her to eat a bowl of cereal. Dad had left her hands tied together today because he wanted to get more photos of her soon to send to her Mum. She kept trying to start a conversation but I wasn't really paying attention. Dad's thoughts this morning kept thundering through me, sending shivers through my body.

"Okay, I give up!" Bella suddenly said.

I snapped back to reality and glanced up to see Bella's deep brown eyes staring at me. She looked annoyed and I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that she was peeved because I wasn't listening to her.

"I'm sorry," I apologised.

I picked up the half-empty bowl of cereal, placing it on the table beside the bed and stared at anything but Bella's innocent face.

"What's going on?" Bella demanded.

I watched her rub her hands together, trying to loosen the ropes around her wrists. I didn't want to tell her the truth about my parent's intentions but I knew that this time was different. I had never even talked to any of the other hostages before and now that I knew Bella, I couldn't let this happen to her. I _had_ to tell her the truth.

"Do you know why my parents have never been caught?" I asked softly.

Bella shook her head, her expression confused.

"Because they never leave any evidence behind," I said. "They've been kidnapping children for eight years now and the police still have no leads on identifying them."

"How do you know that?" Bella asked sceptically. "There could be other..."

"There isn't," I said over the top of her. "I know for a fact that the police from every state we've passed through and the FBI still don't even have a partial fingerprint for any of us."

"And how do you know that?" she asked again.

I just shrugged noncommittally. There was no point in telling Bella about my abilities, simply because she wouldn't believe me.

"It doesn't matter, the point of me telling you this is because you need to know what the future holds for you," I said. "My parents wait until the money has been wired to the fake bank account in Mexico before transferring the money into a secure bank account in Zurich. Mum's brother lives in France and they send him a coded message a week before the money is set to be transferred. From there Uncle Laurent takes the money out of the bank and deposits it back into other banks on his way back home, this time using a different bank account."

I could see Bella's concentration waning so I cut to the chase.

"Basically, they leave no money trace from the ransom and then they wipe down the entire house and pack everything up. The last thing they do to ensure there is no chance of them being found, is kill the hostage. Not one body has been found and they have done it eight times."

Now Bella was listening. Her eyes were wide as they stared at me in disbelief. I could feel my throat going dry and I hated the sheer terror that tore at her. I didn't regret telling her though. She needed to know.

"What...?" she mumbled.

I couldn't even hear her thoughts because they were racing too fast for me to catch the words. She was shaking and I noticed all the colour had drained from her face. I grabbed her bound hands between mine and held them close to my chest.

"Bella," I whispered.

She didn't move. I think she had gone into shock. Well I guess being told you were going to be killed soon could do that to you.

"Bella," I repeated. "Look at me."

I waited until she lifted her head and focused her brown eyes on mine. She blinked slowly.

"I won't let them kill you," I promised. "I was up all night thinking about this and I think I have the beginnings of a plan."

Bella nodded slowly to show she was listening but I could still feel her shaking under my fingers.

"The only thing is I have to do this tonight. They plan to collect the ransom tomorrow and we have to get you away before then."

Again she nodded. I noticed her thoughts had slowed and returned to normal, making it easier for me to gauge her reaction to my words. They were only just sinking in now.

A frown tugged at her lips. "What about you?"

I had heard this coming and swallowed nervously. "Don't worry about me. They haven't killed me yet."

"You haven't tried to defy them like this before," Bella pointed out.

Again I shrugged. I couldn't think of a response to that and I knew Bella knew that too.

Slowly I stood up. I grabbed the bowl off the table and turned my back on Bella. Her thoughts were shouting in my head and I knew she was about to say something I wasn't ready to face.

"Be ready tonight," I said before she could open her mouth. "I will come as soon as I'm sure Mum and Dad are asleep."

Without waiting for her reply, I left the room. My head was bowed and my emotions were running high but I forced away the fear I had for myself and thought of Bella.

She would make it home to her parents. She would live a happy life, marry, have 2.9 children and forget that this ever happened. Forget that I even existed. That I promised her.


End file.
